Aging Is Reversible—at Least in Human Cells and Live Mice

[Ron Put]

"...in theory, reprogramming epigenetics should work on mice and people at any age, says first author Alejandro Ocampo, adding that even cells from human centenarians could eventually be rejuvenated. He and Belmonte say they think they can improve the efficiency and results of the technique with more research—and that they can undo the epigenetic changes responsible for aging by using easier-to-handle chemicals instead of the Yamanaka factors, hopefully moving toward the possibility of treatment for people.

Matt Kaeberlein, a molecular biologist at the University of Washington who studies aging but was not part of the work, says other researchers have found that the Yamanaka factors can rejuvenate cells—so in some ways this study is not surprising. But Kaeberlein says no one else had yet shown that the factors can treat age-related diseases in an animal by making the same changes. “That’s the wow factor,” he explains."
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/aging-is-reversible-at-least-in-human-cells-and-live-mice?utm_source=pocket-newtab

While the above is from 2016, here is how Sinclair is trying to fund (and monetize) it:

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/03/anti-aging-research-prime-time-for-an-impact-on-the-globe/

Which would be a good thing, if they get results.

Edited December 18, 2019 by Ron Put

[Dean Pomerleau]

Note the caveat from the same article:

The study also showed how fine the line can be between benefit and harm. When the researchers treated mice continually, some developed tumors and died within a week. When the scientists cut the treatment to two days out of seven, however, the mice benefited significantly. Sinclair says this should be taken as a note of caution by anyone trying to increase the human life span. “We’ve all been playing with fire,” he says, adding that this fine line will make it challenging to get a drug approved by regulatory agencies. “This is going to be what we spend the next 10 years figuring out: how to reprogram cells to be young again without taking it too far so they become tumors.”

--Dean

[Todd Allen]

Quote

“We’re generally in denial that, for most of the diseases that we get these days, the root cause is aging. I don’t know 10-year-olds that get Alzheimer’s disease or heart disease.”
— David Sinclair

I think Dr. Sinclair is overlooking the recent progress we have been making.  Type 2 diabetes used to be called adult onset diabetes but now it is increasingly common for ever younger children.   My wife is a middle school science teacher and a significant percentage of her students have T2D and have to be given frequent bathroom breaks and visitations with the school nurse.  Considering T2D is a major risk factor for both Alzheimer's and heart disease it seems possible those could soon also become common among her students.

[UserReqDel20200217]

You think this technology will be able to prolong life by how many years. You think it would clear the arteries, eliminate the stroke, eliminate the cancer and leave us free of infections.

Edited January 18, 2020 by Fernando Gabriel